Hard nosed

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Stinking Bishop might sound like a disparaging name for certain high-ranking Christians, but it's not. The cow's milk cheese, which is made in England, gets its name from a type of pear. The Stinking Bishop pear is made into an alcoholic drink that's used to rinse the rind of the cheese, in the same way Epoisses (made in France) is brushed with marc (a distilled spirit made of grape skins). But the 'stinking' mantle is appropriate. The smell is so strong that you'd expect the flavour to be equally powerful, but, fortunately, it's mild by comparison (although it's still not for the faint of palate).

Stinking Bishop is made by a single producer (Charles Martell) on his farm in the Gloucestershire village of Dymock. He's widely credited with reviving the Gloucester breed of cattle, whose milk is used to make the cheese.

Stinking Bishop, which has a yellow-orange rind, is soft, creamy and spreadable. Although delicious on its own, it also has an affinity for ripe, juicy pears, which isn't surprising. Stinking Bishop is sold at Classified- The Cheese Room (108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, tel: 2525 3454).